General Details

Name:

Josie Josephina Flores

Nick Name:

Nana

Maiden Name:

Aqueros

Gender:

Female

Age:

68 years old

Lived:

Friday, 12 January 1940 - Sunday, 11 May 2008

My Story

I am here to tell you about a wonderful life. The life of my mother, Josie Flores. I love her very much and this is very difficult for me to write… I am the youngest of five surviving daughters. We have a wonderful legacy through my mother.

My mother was a beautiful person inside and out. She had gentle hands and a pure heart. She was raised by her mother who was a single parent. As her mother worked the fields she took care of her younger sister (there were only two of them). Because of always moving wherever work could be found and helping her mother raise her sister, my mother never learned to read. My mother had a very hard life.

Josie raised five girls alone and we praise her for it! She may not have been able to read but she gave to us everything… She loved to sew and make things. She made our clothes and quilts we used to keep us warm at night. She did her best to help us in school and always reminded us of how important an education was.

As we grew we all went our separate ways and my mother continued to stay in contact with us. She was there for our babies and she loved them with all her heart. Her grandchildren were everything to her. She continued to make things for her grandbabies up till the last of her chemo.

My mother met her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ a little more then 8 years ago. She found newness of life with a peace she never knew before, that is when she became more to us then she was before. She became our prayer warrior and our encourager. She kept all her daughters and her grandbabies and her great-grandbabies in the hands of God.

But I’m here to tell you that she had a heart of gold and she would give anyone in need anything even when she had nothing. She always had a smile to whomever she met and welcomed anyone into her heart.

During her chemo times in the hospital the nurses could not believe how cheerful and encouraging she was to them. She told me that she knew they had a hard job seeing all the sick people and those that were dying. So she wanted to make their day lighter and happier when they came to see her. And she did… they loved her.

My mother was not a complainer and she would do things even if she didn’t want/like to. She was a people pleaser. She would tell everyone about her daughters and all her babies. She loved us so much!

My mother was sent home to die on May 5, 2008. It was a Monday. She was starting to get where she couldn’t talk, but she would make expressions with her eyes and face. That was the last time I heard my mom tell me she loved me.

All five girls and most of her grandbabies were able to be with our mother those last five days till the she went up to be with her Lord.

I hope I was able to let you see what a wonderful person my mother was. We miss her terribly. My eyes are full of tears as I write this. I/we know that she is in a better place and that her prayer was for all her children to be with her one day in the house of the Lord forever.

I will continue that prayer for her…

I love you mommy… I wish I could feel your gentle hands hold me and touch me again… but those days are gone. I will never forget that you love me and if you were still here you would hold me very tight and tell me everything will be alright.